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Tshenlai Peninsula
The Tshenlai Peninsula is one of the major geographical landmarks of Oryndiil. Located on the northern third of mainland Ohoroh, the peninsula is a land of great diversity, both culturally, politically, and geographically. The Tshenlai Peninsula has played host to many of the great events of the world, and has been the clashing ground of Empires for millenia. History The peninsula was one of the first centres of civilization on Oryndiil. Chronicles of the ancient Shaymali refer to a people who called themselves the 'Tshen', with whom they fought many wars with as both states expanded. Evidence of the Tshen Empire is visible everywhere on the peninsula, from the Aranzhao capital of Leiakara, to the complex system of roads they left crisscrossing the western side. It is unknown what ultimately happened to the Tshen, as they had no written language or any other such method of documentation. What is known, however, is that the empire had long since collapsed by the founding of the Grand Sultanate of Ohoroh, which claimed much of the peninsula as it's own territory. The newly-born Herenami Rex also claimed much of the peninsula, and invested much into converting the people of the land to their own way of life. The peninsula was nothing more than a quiet backwater, however, until the coming of the Casorian Empire. During the wars of the Casorian conquest, the peninsula was the site of many of the most important battles. It also left a lasting impression upon the collective conciousness of the Casorians, as the tales of the horrid diseases and wicked inhabitants entered into the culture of Casoria, forever cementing the idea of the Tshenlai Peninsula as a dangerous, wild, and exotic land. Ultimately, the entire peninsula (with the exception of the Kaolan Wilds) was subjugated by the Casorians, and the land became subject to a heavy attempt to Casorianise the people. This has directly lead to the modern cultural boundaries of the peninsula, with the Faith of Three being strong in the west, particularly Aranzhao, while the traditional faith of Tiankamtoism remains a force in the east. With the retreat of the Casorian Empire from the entirety of Ohoroh, the people of the region have taken the opportunity to both reform and create nations, old and new. Of particular note is the Tshen, now known as the Aranzhi, who have founded their own state once more, Aranzhao, and claim the legacy of old, under the banner of the Faith of Three. Geography The land itself is as varied as it's people. The southern boundary of the peninsula is marked by a vast and all but impassable mountain range known as the Ribs of Ohorr, with the only method being two narrow coastal passages at the far side, known as the Twin Roads. Immediately to the north, and dominating most of the western side of the peninsula, is the Plain of Aranzhi, a vast, fertile grassland that hosts the nations of Aranzhao, Kaori, and Leitanra. To the north-east lies the impenetrable jungles of the Kaolan Wilds, while to the south east is a large coastal marsh that takes up much of the land of Swani. Dividing these two ecologies is Lake Hela, the third largest lake on Ohoroh and the second largest freshwater one. Continuing further east, a range of large hills rise up, forming a natural barrier that has proven troublesome for any imperial powers to easily bypass. This hilly area takes up much of the western area of the modern nations of Vehemena and Nientay. Further east, the land opens up once more into a fertile plain, where the greatest river of the peninsula, the Vehemiya River, almost carves the peninsula in two. Further on, the grasslands begin to blend in to marshes, and then dense jungles, as one approaches the eastern tip of the peninsula. This landscape, known as the Siatyen Marsh, is home to a vast system of rivers and mangrove swamps, and most of the cities in the region are founded on the edge of the water. Category:Geography